


Through The Eyes of the Devil

by melancholicInspiration



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-19
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 02:38:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4373996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melancholicInspiration/pseuds/melancholicInspiration
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where magic is real and is utilized day to day, a boy named Dipper Pines longs to know of magic that is only spoken of in hushed voices when spoken at all. His travels to find out more of this lost magic lead him to one William 'Bill' Cipher.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Lost Magic

**Author's Note:**

> This idea was inspired by a Bill Cipher rper I met on Charat the other day. Ever since they mentioned it, I haven't been able to get the idea out of my head.
> 
> I hope this fic is as good on paper as it is in my head.

Long ago, magic wasn't as ingrained in the land as it is now. People used to call those who believed in the unspoken auras around people as crazy or were told they were on some kind of mind-altering substance. But little did the people of the past know, how common it would be to not only see the different auras of people, but to be able to tap into your own inner abilities to protect yourself or to help out with mundane day-to-day tasks.

Like all things, there was an older more ancient way of doing things - rumored to be even more powerful and chaotic than things now used. Because even the power that ensured that electricity kept on its course, and that rain jackets really did keep out the rain, there were those who constantly searched for more. There were rumors of those who could truly speak to the fragments of those dearly departed, conveying messages to those in desperate need of them, and ones even of those that used vengeful spirits to seek out harm against those still on the mortal chain. Usually when one strayed of the path of what people considered normal or healthy, they were largely avoided as they delved further into their studies enough to isolate themselves entirely.

Messing around with the older magics of the lands was more a curse than a blessing, and to speak of them were tantamount to a death wish. Anyone in any city could see as much. For generations, noone dared to seek out any books on the subject or even tried to practice the dangers of blood magic or the like.

Yet for Dipper Pines, a young man of 20 and still full of childish wonder, not even the strictest guards or the harshest of words could keep him away from it. His uncles, twins named Stanford and Stanley, who had taught Dipper the basics of energy control and basic illusionary techniques had tried to put a stop to his interest in the Lost Magics, fearing that he delved too deep he would eventually become too far gone to save. Dipper quietly appreciated the sentiment, but once he had an idea on his head he was like a bull trying to spear a matador on its horns.

In his studies, he had found out that not only was the magic rumored to be dangerous enough to kill an amateur, but it was also highly recommended to find a suitable mentor for the specific 'stream' of Lost Magic you wanted to learn. Dipper began to keep secret journals to record his findings and he had put a number of magical bindings on them, to prevent someone from trying to spy on him. Even in a city like the one he lived in, there were ones known as psychic vampires - who could just as easily steal your energy and read your minds as a normal person could cast a protective shield over them - who were just as much a danger as anything else one might come across.

For months Dipper dived into this overwhelming interest, finding less answers and more questions than he could ever have imagined. It almost alienated him from his family, were it not for his concerned Uncles checking up on him if he went too long without coming out of his room or his sister Mabel barging in to bring him food and talk for an hour or two about her newest boyfriend. In her own way, she was worried too about what was going on with her brother.

The frustrating part of this was, at least for Dipper, was that he kept running into dead ends whenever he tried finding any information about who could possibly introduce him into this. It seemed that the people who practiced the Lost Magics were just as lost as the magic they studied. One name kept popping up, an actual name, but it kept saying that he disappeared without a trace one night. Noone had seen him, heard from him, had any contact him for nearly a decade.

William Cipher.

The name struck him like someone had struck him from his chair and he stared at the name on his screen, almost hypnotized by it. Even though it wasn't uncommon for people to dabble in technomagic, magic to help enhance their phones or computers, it wasn't a widely used form. Still, it was possible his name had some hidden power, which even written or spoken could transfer some of the power from the original source. Dipper doubted it.

Seeing that name gave him purpose, gave him an objective goal to shoot for. Even if he declined to teach him, or even speak with him, Dipper wanted to meet him even for a second. It went to his head like a drug, filling him with the strongest desire to pack up and set on the adventure of his life. To see a man that would change his life, for better or for worse.

 

Ever since seeing the name William Cipher, Dipper couldn't get it out of his head. Somewhere along the way, either his heart or his mind had decided what to do and his body was blindly following. He was barely even aware of the time that had passed, but from his computer he could tell it had been weeks. Who knew how long it would take him to find Cipher, if he was even still alive, or how long it would take him to come back.

Mabel was the first person he told about his plan, about his dream. She was as adept as magic as anyone he knew - including his parents and his two Uncles - but she amazingly took it in stride and seemed to be happy that he had made a plan of what to do. Dipper almost regretted not telling her earlier, being in the dark for the past couple months must have been hard, but he also had no way of knowing how she would react. They talked for the first time in a while, about Dipper this time; his insecurities of the plan, how much he was worried about how the family would react, how much he would miss them. Mabel comforted him and squeezed his hand, telling him that she would wait for him no matter how long it would take and that their family loved him.

"Should I tell them or.." Dipper started, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked over at Mabel. They were sitting on his bed, his bag packed with all the necessities on the ground just a few feet away, the light of the moon and the streetlamps were glistening through the blinds on his window. 

"You could write a letter! It'd be like in the movies!" Mabel excitedly chirped, still a romantic at heart. Even though they were both fully grown by now, nothing could diminish her spirit. Dipper couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.

"This kind of thing can't be explained in a letter Mabel." As much as it hurt to think, let alone to say, Dipper was leaving the family. And for what? To go see some recluse who noone had heard in years. Cipher could just as easily be a murderer as anything else.

Mabel hummed to herself, trying to think of a solution to help her brother, and bounced her feet off the side of the mattress. This was a hard problem, and one not easily solved. It had to be dealt with, not much could stop Dipper when he made up his mind about something, but she wished it wasn't so hard. "I think you should tell Grunkle Stan at least. Maybe even Ford if you want. I'll talk to mom and dad."

Dipper nodded and thought about that for a few minutes. He was sure that Stan would understand, but he definitely wouldn't approve of his decision. Stan looked out for them both, and thought of them as his own kids - to hear that one of them was running off to do god knows what, with someone who had practically vanished off the face of the Earth, was probably news he didn't want to hear or would react to well. While Dipper nor Mabel knew Ford nearly as well, he would probably react the same way, though it was equally as possible he would react worse than his brother.

A few minutes past between the two of them, everything silent in the room as if someone had come in unheard and silenced them with pure terror. Though terror wasn't exactly what either of them were feeling, the effects were still the same.

"You'll call me, right Dip-dip?" Mabel finally broke the silence, looking up at him, her brown eyes desperately searching for an answer. If Dipper just vanished without a word, it would definitely be harder to cope with.

Dipper laughed softly and ruffled her long hair affectionately. "What kind of brother would I be if I didn't?". Sure he had almost lost himself in his obsessive research, but he was always prone to overdoing research and everyone who knew him knew that. Mabel seemed to relax at his words and poked him in the cheek.

"I'll see you when you come back Dipper." She replied with one of her characteristically bright smiles before hopping off the bed and heading for the door. Dipper smiled at her, knowing that he could always count on her for just about anything but his smile still faltered when the door closed. Tomorrow he was leaving, leaving everything he knew and loved behind. 

~~~~~~~

Telling Grunkle Stan and Ford about his plan both went better and worse than Dipper expected. The words came him to him as easily as ever, as if reciting words from a script he had memorized just for this day, and he was surprised at how easily it was telling them. They reacted in their own way; Stan with anger and concern, Ford with resignation. They let him go, but not without crushing hugs and insisting that he call at least once a week and tell them if they needed anything.

It hurt leaving them behind, but Dipper knew deep down that this was his choice and he could turn back at anytime. No one was controlling him and making him chose this - if someone was no doubt that Dipper would have felt something by now.

With hugs and promises made, he made his way to say goodbye to Mabel again and to thank her for all she had done before catching the bus that would take him to the last place William Cipher was seen.


	2. Cabin in the Woods can only mean trouble.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper's search for Bill begins! Will Bill be what he is expecting or will he get an unwelcome surprise?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be certain ciphers in locations around the woods where Dipper finds Bill and his cabin. They're marked with an asterisk and most likely I'll have what the code means put up here.
> 
> * "Turn back or face the horrors of the diseased"  
> ** "He's here"

The research that Dipper had done on Cipher was borderline obsessive now, and he had caught multiple buses and travelled through and around many cities trying to find any clues to where he might find his enigmatic would-be mentor. He knew not to ask about him, or at the very least not to speak his name. He had suffered years of being painfully out of place in his hometown, and while he knew he was even more so here, Dipper didn't want to draw further attention to himself.

Every so often he would come across puzzling symbols, inverted triangles with red crosses spray-painted over them or half-done inverted pentagrams. Seeing pentagrams, both inverted and not, wasn't entirely uncommon but he had never seen one half finished like this. Filled with hope and his characteristic curiosity, he scribbled the symbols down in his journals whenever he accidentally stumbled down an alley and found one. Dipper didn't have the drafting skills of his Grunkle Ford or any artistic skills that Mabel did, but he was confident in the scrawls he did knowing that even though it might look like nonsense to anyone else it would be something he could easily remember.

The journey continued for what seemed like too long, and Dipper was beginning to lose hope in ever finding what he needed. As he came to the outskirts of the city he had stopped in, he could see the dazzling sunset tinging the world in bright oranges and pinks. While other things might come and go, Dipper was still a rather secretive romantic and could always find himself lost in watching sunsets. Something about it, filled him with a deep inner peace and it caused him momentarily to forget the family he left behind, the hopelessness that occasionally plagued him the further he traveled and searched only to find nothing.

This time it wasn't only the beauty of the sky that made Dipper pause. In the forefront of the scene, was a seemingly out of place thicket of woods, self-contained and ethereal in its spot atop a high hill. He stopped to look around him, broken from his stupor, looking for some kind of road that would easily lead him up to the hill. Nothing of the sort, but even the comfort of roads would stop him and he could feel that familiar feeling in his gut that _he had to be up there_. 

Not wanting to waste any more time, and ignoring the leaden feeling in his legs, Dipper adjusted his bag around his chest and took off. He was so close, he couldn't stop now. Even the thunder booming in the distance couldn't stop him, it only pushed him further to the edge of the forest. The thunder grew louder, getting closer, and Dipper felt the first drops of rain fall on his hat just as he got to the top of the hill. Briefly, Dipper looked back at the city and realized just how far away it was and how far he truly was from his family. Being up here now filled him with anxious energy and he found himself dawdling near the edge of the trees, as if afraid of what he might find in there. A loud song burst from the phone in his pocket, signifying that Mabel had sent him a message, but Dipper still jumped a foot in the air at the sudden noise.

"How're you Dip-dip? Find your boyfriend yet?" The message read and even though he scoffed at the idea of having a boyfriend, that wasn't why he came here. It was Mabel's way of making sure he was alright and continuing on his journey, but Dipper couldn't help but get embarrassed every time she teased him about having or wanting a boyfriend.

"Not my boyfriend Mabel. And yes, I almost found him." Was Dipper's reply before something on the ground right in front of his feet caught his eye. It seemed like a message, practically scorched into the earth, the grass growing around it but not in it, as if some terrible magic was preventing any attempts to make it illegible.

_wxuq ecfn ru idfh wkh kruurv ri wkh glvdivig*_

Dipper squinted at it and then hastily took a picture of it with his phone before rushing into the forest to find some shelter from the rain. Coded messages weren't widely used anymore, most people preferring to be honest and open with what they had to say and had no use for hiding secrets or warnings in amalgamations of alphabets, numbers or symbols. Still, the very existence of the message meant something and even though Dipper had no idea what the code meant or who had placed it there, he was filled to the brim with excitement.

Even still, his stomach was growling with the desire for food and his legs were slightly shaking from the previous exertion. Now that he was out of the rain, Dipper could finally sit down and steel himself for what he was about to find in this wholly out-of-place forest. It was only when he sat down under an immense oak tree that he saw another message, carved into the bark of a tree opposite of him. Even in the growing dark and the rain and the distance, he could still make out the symbols on the tree.

_Sv'h sviv**_

Dipper had only a gut feeling that it was a desperate warning for whomever was foolish to enter the forest, against whoever resided in the forest. He could see a faint orange aura around the message on the tree, and it hadn't faded as was with most cases of people who have died - their possessions which were once brightly tinged with their aura, became faded over time. Anyone knew though, there were cases of auras who never faded due to either magic that prevented it or from the aura being so strong that it was as deeply entrenched into the item or place that even the person dying had no effect on the fading. It was impossible to tell who's aura this was, who was so afraid to carve into _wood_ as a warning, without any kind of body or other affect.

Not even Dipper was enough of a fool to go digging up the forest in search of the body, but there were stories of those who had left enigmatic messages and other fools have dug up the body to find out why. It took a few minutes to compose himself and wipe what was no doubt a dumbstruck and terrified expression off his face and rummaged around in the bag. Right before leaving, Mabel made him some cooties shaped like pine trees and a small roll of paper which looked like a spell to make more pine cookies. He couldn't help but smile as he popped one in his mouth, finding it rather simple albeit ridiculous, that Mabel would think that cookies would help right now - and that she would use her power to make cookies but that was Mabel all over. If she could use magic for cute things, she no doubt would find a way to do it.

After eating as many cookies he could stomach, and entirely wolfing down half a sandwich that he recently bought at a cafe down in the city, he suddenly began to feel overwhelmed with exhaustion. Too many days spent wondering about what would happen when he found Cipher, what Stan and Ford and Mabel were going through without him, and running into dead ends almost every day for the past week had exhausted his mind just as much as his legs.

 He was about to settle down under the tree and try to get some sleep when something ran right up to him, its face barely inches from him. Dipper yelped out in fright, looking into the red irises of the person standing in front of him, an insanely gleeful look in its eyes. It was right then he wished he had an actual weapon, something to push whatever this was away from him when he reached for a knockback spell. It was relatively simple, and he didn't even have to say a word and the thing flew back until it hit a tree. The gnome let out a shriek at him and then bounded out into deeper reaches of the forest, leaving Dipper once more to his thoughts. Dipper shook his head, too aware of his over-active sweat glands, the beating of his heart and the distant echoes of the rain and thunder as far away as if he was back home locked up in his room, watching the storm through a window.

It was clear enough that he wouldn't be able to sleep, not after that terrifying experience. He didn't think gnomes still were around in these parts driven out by the cities and cars and warding spells, and that was not an introduction that he favored. Dipper got up and started walking, wish he had a better direction than the messages in cryptic codes that filled him with dread.

~~~

The cabin wasn't at all what Dipper imagined when he thought of what a house to an immensely powerful sorcerer to look like. Dilapidated wooden fence, with its shabby steel gate almost torn off its hinges. There was what seemed to be an immense pine tree to the direct left of the pathway to the gate and various small collections of herbs. A bare patch was located to the far side, overrun with yarrow that made Dipper's eyebrows raise almost to the brim of his hat. Yarrow wasn't commonly found and when it was, it grew on graves.

The house itself seemed to have some kind of tower near the yarrow patch and were it not for the fact that there were possibly dead people laying under the ground, Dipper still wouldn't have gone anywhere near it. He stayed where he was, peeking out from behind a birch tree, watching the house as if expecting something to happen or for someone to leave or go into the house. As terrifying as the surroundings were, the place looked almost homey, like some old granny lived in there using her last remaining years to spend in peace and quiet, with a bunch of cats.

Dipper had spent too much time around Mabel.

The ancient looking door opened and Dipper had to force himself to not let his jaw drop. There was no doubt about it, that was William Cipher. In the flesh. Oddly dressed, in what seemed like some kind of plaid yellow and black dress shirt and a vest, with white pants. He was no doubt handsome, even with the harsh scar over his right eye, and even his aura was intimidating. It was the brightest and harshest blue that Dipper had ever seen, so much so that it was almost painful to look at.

Now that he had found who he was looking for, Dipper still found himself speechless and his mind was blank. He couldn't stop staring, for so long thinking that the man in front of him was dead or a myth. But Dipper didn't have to do anything when the man walked half-way down the brick pathway, a teasing look in his eyes as he seemed to look _right at him_. Knowing that he was caught, and god knew what was going to happen now, Dipper disappeared back behind the tree, pressing himself so tightly against it that he could've been absorbed into the bark.

"Tell me what you want kid, and maybe I won't kill you." Bill called, though there was no real threat in his voice. It was almost like he had spent so long with nothing but gnomes for company, that he actually seemed to want to have a normal person to talk to. Dipper wasn't exactly the most normal of people and if the rumors he heard about Cipher were true, he would turn against him and murder him in the woods in some horrific fashion for his family to find decades later.

Dipper never trusted rumors about anyone, and it was his desire to prove the rumors wrong that made him step out from behind the tree and walk up to the gate. Bill stood where he was, standing as tall and proud as if nothing could possibly harm or scare him - though Dipper definitely didn't want to meet anything that managed to scare him. When Dipper first came across mentions of him, he always imagined him to either be ancient or so lost that he spouted gibberish at odd times, unable to fully comprehend what was going on around him. Bill looked surprisingly sane, as if his dabblings in the Lost Magic hadn't taken any toll on him.

"So what'll it be then? You just gonna stand there as if someone hit you with a hammer?" Bill practically sneered at him, a smug overconfident grin on his face. Dipper had come across smug jerks before but for some reason when it was with Bill, he found himself not bothered by it possibly due to his utter idolization of him.

"I want you to teach me!" Dipper blurted out, and that obviously caught Bill off guard. He actually looked surprised before his expression fell into a deep scowl as he walked closer to the gate, making Dipper's stomach turn over in apprehension. Obviously in his excitement he had forgotten to spare a moment to think that he might get offended at such a request.

"Listen pinecone." Bill's voice had grown deep now, and goosebumps appeared on his skin from the pure power from it. He didn't even react to the insult taken from the pinetree on his hat. "I don't teach. Anyone."

Dipper came to after he stopped talking and his body almost wilted at the response, despite from the hours he spent preparing himself for the eventual rejection. It felt like a waste coming here only to be rejected without a reason. Bill seemed to notice this and he stared at him intently, though not seeming to care about Dipper's reaction to the rejection.

"If you think you're either foolish or confident enough to try, follow me." He replied before abruptly turning and walking back inside the house.


	3. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This fic is taking over my life. Thank you to all the wonderful people who have taken the time to read this!

Dipper was hesitating again, one hand on the cool metal of the gate as he looked up the path to the house at the end of it. Whatever he was expecting out of Bill Cipher, it wasn't that. He had basically invited him into his own house with the expectation of testing him and if he succeeded, he might have the privilege of learning from him. Dipper wanted nothing more than that, and the urge to prove himself made him want to run inside and face any challenge Bill gave him. Perhaps he had been struck dumb by the realization that Bill was alive, that he was sane, and it was taking too long for him to collect his thoughts and his courage to go up there.

Maybe Bill had cast some kind of spell to paralyze his mind until he was kicked out. Sure, Dipper had never really read any such thing, but Bill seemed to know much more than he let on. Even if Dipper was taught the secrets of the Lost Magic, he might never know the secrets of Bill Cipher.

Whether it was his desire to know more about magic, or about Bill, Dipper pushed aside the gate and walked up the path to the house. It was only now he truly realized how deathly quiet it had gotten in those few minutes since Bill left, like someone had taken the life out of everything around. There wasn't even a breeze to fill it up, making Dipper even more aware of his breathing and his steady heartbeat.

His hands were shaking faintly by the time they reached the door handle, too absorbed in staring at the wide porch and the flaking paint to notice how nervous he looked right now. The door opened without any resistance, and Dipper wasn't sure why exactly he was expecting any, and it led into the darkened house.

Dipper had mostly outgrown his fear of dark houses, but still being in one in the middle of a deserted and possibly haunted forest, gave him slight goosebumps. If there was any light, he would have seen the open closet door right next to the entrance, and the assortment of clothes and shoes that didn't seem to belong to the person living here. If Dipper cared to look he would've seen a rather distinguished ebony cane with a snake weaved around it in the same dark colour. 

The hall seemed to go on forever, but the odd shimmering of a dull flame at the end of it illuminated what seemed like a kitchen. It seemed that Bill either had no electricity in this place, or if he did, he preferred the old-fashioned way of doing certain things. Knowing it was probably dumb to loiter in the hall, he walked towards the light, hoping to find Bill there and gradually becoming more comfortable in his new surroundings. It wasn't home but Dipper could find the appeal in the place.

The kitchen was sparse, only occupying one side of the wall, another large divider occupying where the rest of the kitchen would normally be. It was an odd design, and a much older one than Dipper had seen in years. There were two black pillar candles sitting on the tile right by the sink, and smaller tea lights scattered around, the shadows playing on the wall as if being blown about by some imaginary breeze.

There used to be, back longer than Dipper could remember, when people used to believe that the colour of candles and crystals meant something and that certain colours and forms should only be used for certain rituals or spells. The thought was ridiculous, and it seemed that Bill stoutly opposed that kind of superstitious beliefs. Dipper found a quiet appreciation in that and he reached out to one of the black candles to use as a lantern to help find his 'mentor' when a sudden voice came out of the shadows.

"Don't touch that." Bill replied sharply, though it had an undertone of deep amusement in it. If Dipper had actually grabbed it, he would have dropped it in his surprise and he almost spun around, trying to find where he was hiding.

Bill stepped out of the shadows, on the other side of the counter and somehow by firelight he looked different. Gaunter, older, as if something he had learned over the years really did haunt him in ways no man could possibly imagine. His eyes, a deep yellow colour, stared right at Dipper in a way that made him subconsciously question if he was some form of psychic, vampire or not. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just the two of them looking at each other as if trying both to prove something and to read each others mind.

Dipper had heard that some people had managed to steal someone elses psychic power and used it for himself and when he first heard of that as a child it caused him to be even warier of the people around him. For the first time, he found himself wondering if having such an ability would help.

"The fact that you're here means you really are foolish enough to think yourself suitable." Bill drawled with a lazy grin, one hand gently playing over the flames on one of the black candles. The flame ebbed and flowed under his fingers as if it was a puppet dancing on strings. Whether it was a display of his actual power, or if he was just toying around with Dipper and using tricks was unclear and either one was possible.

Dipper still felt his gaze go from Bill's face, to his hand barely an inch from the tip of the flame on the candle, finding himself easily entranced by it. What Dipper didn't see, was the languid grin on Bill's face as he slyly read the boy's mind, allowing him to be stunned by the simple trick. It only took a few minutes on some, for Bill to figure out their life's story, and it was even easier to do it with this one. There was one odd thing that he found, and that was the boy was wearing some kind of illusion, and that was even more interesting. It filled him with the desire to force him to undo it, to show him what kind of disfigurement he was hiding. 

After a few minutes, Dipper came back to reality and he let out a shaky nod when he remembered Bill's question. He opened his mouth to explain his interest or pledge his loyalty or something but once again nothing came out, so he shut his mouth. After all, Bill had found out all he needed to know from him, and had made his decision already.

"If you're serious about wanting me to teach you, kid, take off that spell." Bill's grin grew darker and the request caught Dipper off guard, the younger man giving him a baffled expression. 

Dipper immediately knew what spell he meant and he looked down at his shoes, embarrassed at the thought of having to do something like that. Bill might not laugh at what he was hiding under hat and spell, but that didn't make him any less nervous. After a few minutes of trying to gather up his easily shattered composure, Dipper took a deep breath and removed his hat, before beginning to unravel the spell.

Most spells, especially illusions, tended to glow a faint light when they were cast or undone and the colour and strength of it depended on what type of spell was used and how much effort was put into it. This particular illusion was not meant to drastically change his appearance like most did, it was meant to hide certain things on his body that Dipper would rather not have people knowing about. As the spell came undone, in a soft flash of pink light, it became gradually more clear what he was hiding.

There was a mark upon his forehead, little dots in the form of a constellation. Bill could've laughed at the waste of magic to hide something so inconsequential, but he just shook his head. Not what he really expected, but it gave him a good clue as to Dipper's abilities and powers. Bill never had much use for illusions of that nature, having never really shown enough shame to want to cower behind magic.

"Waste of energy kid. What I'll show you is much more impressive." Bill seemed to be permanently grinning, and it was starting to unnerve Dipper just the slightest bit were he not shielded by the ecstasy that filled him at hearing that Bill was seriously going to teach him something.

"When do we start?" Dipper didn't even bother to hide it any more, his shame seeming to fall away when he unravelled that spell.

"Right now."

 


	4. You don't know what you're really getting into

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill's method of training/teaching is only a little out of the ordinary. In some ways Dipper fails quick, but he's quick to learn and more than a little stubborn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some ciphers in this chapter as well, and like with the last chapter, there will be the decoded messages up here. 
> 
> eloo lhor xv : Bill help us 
> 
> rqpb wlh fxuvhg pcb hqwhu: only the cursed may enter

The first night in Bill's house was oddly surreal and for some reason Dipper kept rubbing at his eyes, trying to wake himself up. Sure it felt weird not wearing his customary illusion but he knew that would pass, and he could always take it off when he had to leave. He was also exhausted, more exhausted than he can remember being, and desperately wanted to find some place to fall asleep but didn't know yet what he was allowed to touch or where in the house he was allowed to go. A soft high sound woke him from dozing off yet again and he realized that he was sitting against a wall, with his head lolled off to the side and Bill was standing in front of him again, the soft sound being the man laughing at him. It was an odd sound, higher and more carefree than Dipper expected and he scrambled to his feet. 

"If you want something, you might as well spill the beans." Bill replied, leaning languidly on what looked like a black cane. Dipper remembered earlier, how he was walking, and he definitely had no trouble so the cane was for show. He momentarily fumbled with trying to get the proper words out, looking more and more flustered the longer he stood there.

"Is there...someplace I can stay?" Dipper looked briefly at Bill, realizing that he had a good three or so inches on him, and he faltered before looking away. The question seemed to amuse Bill, and he leaned back, amazingly keeping his posture grounded in the floor. It was almost like none of the rules for magic that Dipper had learned didn't apply to him in any way.

"You're something else kid." Bill was chuckling again, Dipper was an endless source of amusement to him, and he had met very few humans he liked, let alone liked this much.  "There's a few rooms upstairs. Take your pick."

Dipper seemed to be in some kind of stunned amazement, grateful that Bill still wasn't kicking him out. If anything, Bill was being nothing but cordial and downright friendly. He nodded his thanks and left, his quiet footfalls moving upstairs. Bill remained downstairs for a time, before turning and looking out the glass windows behind him, as if he could see something else that noone else could. Although he said nothing, there was a light frown on his face as if something was there and troubling him.

~~ 

 

It it only took a few minutes for Dipper to get upstairs and he walked into the first room he saw, unceremoniously dropping his bag by the bed and tossing her myself on his bed. He didn't know how much he missed an actual bed until now, after weeks of sleeping in buses and divey motels. 

By the time Dipper finally managed to rub the sleep out of his eyes, there was a bright patch of sunlight outside. It was almost welcoming, were it not for the fact that its presence made it just a little odd. The trees in this forest were huge, and while Dipper never looked up at the foliage he was sure that not that much light could possibly get down in here. His gut feeling was that Bill had something to do with the new light in the otherwise dark forest, but he shook his head as he went to the window. Bill might be more powerful and learned than he ever would be, but he didn't control everything that happened. Thinking he did would be kind of putting him on some kind of twisted pedestal; though admittedly in a sense Dipper was already guilty of that. 

Something caught his eye and he noticed that his room was right across from the silo he noticed the other day. It gave him a chill when he noticed a curved doorway leading inside of it and something written over top of it in what Dipper dearly hoped was some kind of paint. Luckily, he couldn't read whatever it was and decided to leave his room and get some food. 

 The house was eerily quiet, even in the late hours of the morning, and Dipper curiously walked through the halls, looking up at every nook and cranny he came across. He was hoping to find something that told him a bit more about Cipher, why he came here and what this house was doing here. It didn't look like the foundation had been disturbed at all, so that ruled out any possibility that it was just transported here, and it looked too old to have been built recently. Not to mention, it didn't seem like Bill would either have the capacity or interest to build an entire house on his own.

Near the end of the hall was a door cracked open, and a familiar electric light - either Bill somehow did manage to get electricity running in the middle of nowhere or he was playing a trick on Dipper. Due to the door only being open part of the way, he could only see the mirror and the sink it was hanging over. The sink was normal, or normal as could be, but it was the message scrawled in blood and fog on the glass that made Dipper's skin crawl.

_eloo lhor xv_

Even though Dipper had no clue what it meant, or even who wrote it there, it had definitely spooked him. He walked downstairs and tried to shake the cold shock from his bones looking for something to eat. Bill wasn't around, though it couldn't have been that unusual for the enigmatic man to wander off and Dipper wasn't close enough to him to be told about it. Still, there was a faint sense of disappointment when he got downstairs and saw no sign of him.

He ate quickly, though Dipper usually ate as fast as he could, and headed outside. The sun, or what was supposed to be the sun, was still shining brightly and he couldn't help but smile up at it. After the storm last night, Dipper had been wishing that the next day would be a bit nicer. And it was.

Dipper started wandering around without purpose again, dead set on exploring the wide yard and looking for where Bill had wandered off to. The silo that Dipper still gave a wide berth was eventually where he ended up, the writing atop of it clearer now, and he noticed that the small wooden door was also ajar. Hesitation came over him for a few moments before he wandered closer, intent on studying the writing.

_rqpb wlh fxuvhg pcb hqwhu_

It definitely wasn't a family name like Dipper had originally though, but for more than one reason he couldn't properly articulate, he braved the threshold and walked far enough to push open the door. Dipper wasn't sure what he was expecting, but when he opened the door and stepped in, all he could see was Bill sitting down in a plush chair and scribbling something down in a book full of parchment paper. He wanted to go in and talk to him, or look at the shelves that had books and immense bottles full of ground up herbs and other such trinkets were it not for the fact that there seemed to be some kind of invisible barrier that prevented him from going any further.

After a few seconds, Dipper called out his name and Bill seemed to flinch, be he didn't turn or acknowledge him there. That was puzzling, was he used to hearing his name called? Who would be talking to him all alone in the forest? Deciding to leave Bill to whatever he was doing, Dipper left, moving over to the porch of the house and looking out across the yard. Now that it was light outside he could explore it all, but for the first time he wasn't interested in doing that.

Had he made a mistake? Was Bill actually crazy like the others?

Dipper chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to make sense of this. He had a tendency to overthink everything, but maybe this was a rare case of him not thinking at all. He had found what he was looking for, and Bill did agree to teach him, but why wasn't he happier about it? He should've been jumping for joy or on the phone to Mabel, but he wasn't. There was a slight feeling pulling at his stomach that Bill had lied to him. He shook his head and caught Bill walking out of the silo out of his peripheral vision.

Bill's gaze seemed to soften somewhat as he walked closer to Dipper, as if he was dealing with something troubling and dangerous but still refusing to say anything about it. Dipper resolved to find out what was going on, and try to help him with it.

"So glad you could join us, Pines." Bill almost drawled with a teasing grin, leaning back on a nearby support beam. He was wearing slightly different clothes now, clothes that hugged his figure less but were no more suitable for working.

Dipper just nodded, obviously embarrassed that he slept in as much as he did, opting to look out at the trees in the background around the house. He was glad that Bill came out of there, he didn't know what he would've done out here by himself, and caught himself smiling a bit.

Bill moved closer to him, the grin only growing as he leaned in close to Dipper, obviously pleased about something. Bill being so close inadvertently made Dipper's heart race and he tried to hide it.

"Well we should get started then." He replied with a half-hearted shrug as he went back to standing up, his dark hazel eyes still focused on Dipper as he mentally scrambled for words when there were none.

Eventually, he managed to clear his throat and nervously tugged at his collar. "So what are we doing first?" As much as he had confidence in getting up to Bill's speed by just being thrown into something, he would much rather be told.

"I'm going to teach you to defend yourself."


End file.
